Mail-bag catcher.



No. 876,835. PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908;

.E. PILAND.

MAIL BAG GATGHER.

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- PATENTED JAN. 114, 1908. E.'PILAND; MAIL BAG GATGHER. ARPLIGATIONFILED MIA-SE18, 1907.

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THE NORRIS PETERS c0., WASHINGTON, o, c.

ERNEST PILAND, OF TOPPENISH, WASHINGTON.

MAIL-BAG CATCI-IER.

Specification of LettersIatent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1908.

Application filed May is. 1907. Serial No. 374,322.

- ing and delivering mechanism of that type whereby mail bags can bepicked up or deposited from and to a station by a moving train.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify theconstruction and operation of apparatus of this character so as to becomparatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture and install,thoroughly reliable and satisfactory in service, and readilymanipulated.

A further object of the invention is the provision of two combined mailbag supporting and catching devices, one on the mail car of a train andthe other on a post or supporting structure at one side of the railroadtrack, and so related to the first that mail bags can be exchangedwithout requiring the train to be stopped.

I/Vith these objects in view and others, as will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel fea-.tures of construction and arrangemant of parts which will be more fullydescribed hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claimsappended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one of the embodiments ofthe invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a mailcar, showing the catching and delivering device in the act of picking upa mail bag from and delivering one to the station. Fig. 2 is atransverse section of the car showing the catching and deliveringapparatus in elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus. Fig. 4is a perspective view of the bag catching arm of the station device.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate correspondingparts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates an ordinary United States mailcoach having a side doorway 2 into and out of which the catching anddelivering device of the car is adapted to swing. This device,designated generally by 3, comprises a bowshaped frame composed ofoutwardly curved arms 4 connected with a horizontal shank or body 5. Theshank is provided with a vertical eye 6, as shown in Fig. 3, whichreceives a vertical pintle 7 on which the frame swings into and out ofthe doorway. In'order to hold the frame in operative position or atright angles to the side of the car, as shown in Fig. 1, a link 8connects the inner end of the body or lever 5 with a bracket9 on theinside of the car. By detaching the link, the frame of the mail-catchingand delivering device can freely swing in and out on the hinge thereof.On the horizontal extremities of the arms 4 are fingers or hooks 10 forengaging the ring 11 on the ends ofthe mail bags 12, the hooks beingarranged to extend in the same direction so that the mail bag can bereadily detached from the device. The bag catcher comprises an arm 13riveted to the arms 4- and supported by a brace member 14, the arm 13being arranged with its free end disposed somewhat in front of avertical plane passing through the arms 4. On the free end of the arm 13is a U- shaped catch 15, as-clearly shown in Fig. 3, that is preferablymade of a strip of spring metal and bent with outwardly flaringextremities 16 to form a mouth whereby the picking up of the mail bag bythe catcher is insured.

At the mailing stations along the railroad are arranged stationarycatching and delivering devices. Each stationary device comprises anupright or post 17 planted in the ground or otherwise suitably supportedand provided with spaced horizontally extending arms 18 extending towardthe railroad track, there being hooks 19 on the extremities of the armsfor receiving the ring 11 of a mail bag. Disposed between the arms 18 isa catcher arm 20 having a spring catcher 21 which, as

shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is similar to the catcher of the mail cardevice.

In practice, the mailing clerk on the car, when he desires to deposit abag, hooks the rings of the latter on'the hooks 10 of the bagsupportingarms 3, and then swings the frame outwardly and locks the same by thelink 8 in operative position, so that the bag will be in the path of thestationary catches 21' of the station which the train is approaching.The arms 4 serve to hold the mail bag extended and as soon as thecatcher 21 takes hold of the bag, the hooks 10 will disengage from therings 11 thereof. It will be noted that the stationary catcher arm 20 isdisposed on the approached side of the bag supporting arms 18. If thepostmaster at the station wishes the train to take up the outgoing mail,he

places a bag on the supporting arms 18 so that the catcher of the traindevice can pick up the bag at the same time the bag of incoming mail isdeposited thereby. In this manner, the mails can be interchanged betweenthe mail car and station at any point along the road without requiringthe train to be stopped. As soon as the train passes the station, themail clerk unlocks the device by detaching the link 8 and swings theframe into the car so as to be out of the way of obstructions.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of themethod of operationwill be readily apparent to those skilled in the artto which the invention appertains, and while I have described theprinciple of operation of the invention,

together with the apparatus which I now consider to be the bestembodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood. that the appara tusshown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made whendesired, as are within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described. the invention, what I claim is 1. The combinationof a support, a pair of fixed arms mounted thereon, mail bag holdingdevices on the arms, a fixed arm disposed between the said pair and atone side of the 2. In an apparatus of the class described, thecombination of a pair of arms, bag holding devices thereon, a third armarranged at one side of the first-mentioned arms, a bag catching deviceon the third arm, and a common mounting for the arms on which the latterswing.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a carhaving a doorway, a bag catching device, a bag holding device, and acommon means forthe devices forpermitting them to swing into andout ofthe doorway.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a carhaving a doorway, a bag catching device, a bag holding device, a commonmeans for the devices for permitting them to swing into and out of thedoorway, and means for locking the devices in outstanding position.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a carhaving a doorway, a frame hingedly mounted to swing in and out of thedoorway and provided with apair of spaced arms, bag engaging means onthe arms, a member rigidly secured to the frame and extending to a pointin front of the arms, and a bag catcher on the front side of the saidmember. Y

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST PILAND.

Witnesses:

OTTA SNELLING, ALLEN S. DAVIS.

